1. Technical Field
This invention relates to icemakers, and more particularly to a commercial icemaker having a remotely disposed condenser and a means for bypassing a head pressure control valve of the icemaker depending upon the temperature of the ambient environment surrounding the condenser.
2. Discussion
Icemakers are used in a wide variety of commercial and residential applications to produce ice in desired quantities. Large commercial icemakers often include a remotely disposed condenser. The condenser is often disposed in an outdoor environment due to the large degree of heat given off by the condenser during operation of the icemaker. Often, such condensers are located on building roof-tops. In either event, the condenser is exposed to the outdoor environment, where the air temperature can change drastically throughout the day.
Current commercial icemakers typically make use of a head pressure control valve. The purpose of this valve is to maintain a set head pressure when the ambient temperature of the air surrounding the condenser becomes too cold. The maintenance of this head pressure at a desired minimum pressure is required to maintain operation of the compressor of the icemaker within approved pressure and temperature guidelines.
During operation of such commercial icemakers, in order to achieve improved harvest performance when the condenser is experiencing low ambient temperature conditions, it is generally necessary to have a high "set point" of the head pressure control to build more heat in the compressor. However, increasing this set point pressure to accommodate low ambient conditions degrades performance of the icemaker at the icemaker rating point temperature. The icemaker rating point temperature is 90.degree. air temperature, 70.degree. water temperature. This is a common summertime condition. However, no control of the head pressure is required to produce adequate compressor performance at the ice maker rating points.
It would therefore be highly desirable to provide an icemaker in which the head pressure control valve thereof could be used when the ambient temperature surrounding a remotely disposed condenser of the icemaker is below a predetermined temperature, and the head pressure control valve bypassed when the ambient temperature is above a predetermined temperature. It would further be highly desirable if such a degree of control over the head pressure control valve could be incorporated with a limited number of component parts and modifications to an icemaker, and without introducing a significant degree of complexity into the icemaker.